Copy holder

ABSTRACT

A copyholder for holding sheets of material, such as paper, for the copying of information therefrom, for example by a typist. The holder has a rectangular frame slightly larger than the sheets to be held, a stand for supporting the frame upright, and a bar extending across the frame to underline the line being copied. A knob, pulley and cord arrangement move the bar up and down on rotation of the knob. A resiliently biased member is positioned at the top of the frame for gripping the top of the sheet.

United States Patent Inventor Clifford Henry Burnham l7 Sherwood Ave., Scarborough, Ontario, Canada Appl. No. 781,735 Filed Dec. 6, 1968 Patented May 25, 1971 COPY HOLDER 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 40/356, 248/452, 282/29 Int. Cl B4lj 11/64 Field of Search..... 40/356,

352, 353, 17, 16, 16.6, 13; 24/673, 67.5, 67.9, 67.11; 248/44l,45l, 452; 281/15 (B); 282/291 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,347 l/l900 Winslow 40/356 2,2 l9,255 10/1940 Doerr 40/356 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-L. R. Oremland Attorney-Weir, Marshall, MacRae & Lamb ABSTRACT: A copyholder for holding sheets of material, such as paper, for the copying of information therefrom, for example by a typist. The holder has a rectangular frame slightly larger than the sheets to be held, a stand for supporting the frame upright, and a bar extending across the frame to underline the line being copied. A knob, pulley and cord arrangement move the bar up and down on rotation of the knob. A resiliently biased member is positioned at the top of the frame for gripping the top of the sheet.

COPY HOLDER Many forms of copyholders are available. but either two hands are required for moving a bar up and down as the bar is frictionally supported on side frame members, or a ratchet or similar step-by-step device is used to move the bar preset amounts.

The need to use two hands is a considerable disadvantage, as a copyholder is usually situated to one side of the user and one arm has to reach across the body to assist in moving the bar. One handholds the holder while the other moves the bar. Further, as friction is used to maintain the bar in place, it is not easy to move the bar the exact amount required.

With ratchet actuated devices, the bar cannot be moved an amount other than that set by the ratchet device. Thus if material having differing line spacing is to be copied, a different holder is required for each line spacing, or alternatively a very fine ratchet movement is used and then the device operated a particular number of times for each line. There is thus an inconvenient arrangement and also the provision of a ratchet device increases the complexity and the cost.

The present invention is concerned with a copyholder which can be operated by one hand, is acceptable of any line spacing, is light, easily made and inexpensive. Essentially, the holder comprises a rectangular frame mounted on a back member and has sides, top and bottom frame members. A knob is mounted on the outer face of the bottom member with a pulley on the knob spindle, the pulley behind the bottom member. A system of cord and guides carry a bar, rotation of the knob and pulley moving the cord, and the bar. A member for gripping the top edges of sheets in the holder is mounted at the top of the frame with means for resiliently urging a part of the member towards the back member for gripping the sheets therebetween.

The invention will be readily understood by the following description of an embodiment, by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder, with its stand,

FIG. 2 is a view of the back of the holder, with the back member removed, and

FIG. 3 is cross section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, to an enlarged scale.

The holder comprises a rectangular frame having side members 11 and 12, a top member 13 (seen in FIG. 2) and a bottom member 14. In the particular arrangement shown, side members 11 and 12, and top and bottom members 13 and 14 are molded in one piece.

The holder is supported in an upright position by a stand 16. The stand 16 has a channel at its front edge into which the bottom of the holder fits. The front web of the channel is indicated at 17. The stand has two divergent legs extending rearwardly, one being seen at 18. The particular form of the stand 16 can vary, although the particular form illustrated and described has 'certain advantages in that the divergent legs provide a spring action which improves the gripping effect of the feet of the bottoms of the legs.

The bottom member 14 is of greatly increased width and forms a panel. Positioned in the center of this panel is a knob 19. The knob 19 is mounted on a spindle, 20, which passes through the panel, or bottom member 14. Attached to the spindle 20 on the reverse side of bottom member 14 is a pulley 21. Attached to the rear face of the frame 10 are guides 22.

Generally these guides are molded as part of the frame and are grooved or waisted. Two guides 22 are positioned at each of the outer edges of the panel or bottom member 14, generally in line with the side members 11 and 12, and a further guide member is positioned at the top end of each side member 11 and 12.

An endless cord 23 passes round the pulley 21, the cord at one side passing round the guides 22 at one edge of the bottom member 14 and then round the top guide 22 at the top of side member 11, and at the other side passing round guides 22 at the other edge of bottom member 14 and then round the top guide 22'at the top of side member 12. It will be noted that at one side the cord is twisted between the pulley 21 and the guides 22 at the edge of the bottom member 14. This is to ensure that the runs of the cord 23 nearest the inner edges of the side members 11 and 12 both move in the same direction on rotation of the knob 19. Attached to these runs is a crossbar 25. Rotation of knob 19 in one direction or the other will produce upward or downward movement of crossbar 25 In cross section the side members 11 and 12 are of angle section, one web forming the face of the holder, and the other web at right angles to the face and extending rearwards therefrom. The bottom member 14 has a web 26 near the bottom edge and also a web 27 at its upper edge, both webs extending rearwardly from the main surface of the bottom member. Spigots 28 are molded on the frame for the reception of self-tapping screws 29, one of which is seen in FIG. 3, the screws attaching a back member 30. The webs 26 and 27, and also the rearward extending webs of the side members 11 and 12, are deep enough to enable the back member 30 to cover over the entire frame 10, to enclose the pulley 21, guides 22 and crossbar 25.

Top member 13 is a flat piece of material, with a small flange or web 24. The front face of member 13 is parallel to but slightly rearward of the plane of the front faces of the side members 11 and 12 and bottom member 14, and the flange 24 extends forwardly. Thus, when the back member 30 is attached to the frame, there is a slot across the top of the holder. Extending across the top of the frame is a separate member 31. The form of member 31, and the method of attachment is seen in FIG. 3. Member 31 has a main portion formed of two webs or flanges 32, 33 at an angle to each other. The member 31 is large enough that flange 33 will rest on the top ends of side members 11 and 12. At the same time flange 32 overlaps the tops of the side members and also the top member 13.

Flange 33 has an extension 34 which is shorter than flange 33 and extends between the side members 11 and 12 into contact with back member 30. To retain member 31 in position a cord 35 passes round top member 13 and also extension 34, the ends of the cord connected by a tension spring 36. The path of cord 35 can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3. From one end of spring 36, the cord passes along the front of top member 13, which has a narrow flange on its top edge to maintain the cord 35 and spring 36 in position. Near the end of the top member 13 the cord passes over the top member through a groove 37, and then down the back of the top member. The cord then passes along the front of the member 31 at the junction of the extension 34 with flange 33. A groove 38 at each end of the member 31 positions the cord. The cord then passes up the back of the top member 13, over the top of the member and back along the front of the top member to the other end of spring 36.

As will be seen in FIG. 3, with the cord 35 tensioned by the spring 36, the extension 34 is biased upward with the member 31 pivotting on the top member 13. This urges the extension 34 into engagement with the back member 30. To insert a sheet of paper or any other similar document, the member 31 is pushed upwards a little and the paper inserted at the top of the frame 10. When the paper is in position, release of member 31 will cause the paper to be gripped between extension 34 and the back member 30. The cross bar 25 is positioned by knob 19 to indicate the line of information or similar being copied, or considered.

The copyholder of the present invention is easily used, only one hand being needed to rotate the knob 19. The cross bar 25 can readily be positioned and is adaptable to any distance between lines. The paper or other document is easily inserted and at the same time firmly gripped. More than one sheet can be inserted at one time.

In the particular embodiment described, the stand can readily be removed for storing the holder in a drawer or elsewhere, when not required. To prevent sliding of the holder in use, small buttons of rubber or similar material can be glued to the bottom of the stand 16, one button being seen at 40 in FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that other forms of stands can be used.

lclaim: l. A copyholder for holding sheets of material for copying therefrom, comprising: a rectangular frame having front and back panels for supporting said sheets therebetween; said front panel having top, bottom and side members forming a viewing window, said side and bottom members having rearwardly extending members joined to said back panel, said top member forming a slot with said back panel; a movable bar extending across said frame and movable up and down relative to said frame; and means for moving said bar, said means including a pulley mounted on the rear of the frame, guide means adjacent comers of the frame, and an endless cord extending around said pulley and said guide means, said movable bar attached at each end to said cord for movement therewith, and a knob mounted on the front of said frame for rotating said pulley in one direction or another to cause upward or downward movement of the bar.

2. A copyholder as claimed in claim 1, said pulley mounted on the rear of said bottom frame member, said cord extending from said pulley across said bottom frame member, round guide means at the bottom of a side member, up said side member, around guide means at the top of said side member, back down said side member, across said bottom member passing around said pulley to the other side member, round guide means at the bottom of said side member, up said other side member, around guide means at the top of said other side member, back down said other side member, around guide means at the bottom of said other side member and back to said pulley.

3. A copyholder as claimed in claim 1, said top frame member forming, with said back panel, a slot for insertion of said material.

4. A copyholder as claimed in claim 3, including a pivotal member extending across said frame parallel to and aligned with said top frame member, said pivotal member pivotally mounted on the top frame member, said pivotal member including an extension extending towards said back panel, and means resiliently urging said extension into contact with said back panel to thereby grip said material.

5. A copyholder as claimed in claim 4, said pivotal member mounted on said frame by a cord extending across the front of said pivotal member, up behind the top frame member at each end thereof and across the front of said top frame member, ends of the cord being attached to a tension spring positioned between said pivotal member and said top frame member. 

1. A copyholder for holding sheets of material for copying therefrom, comprising: a rectangular frame having front and back panels for supporting said sheets therebetween; said front panel having top, bottom and side members forming a viewing window, said side and bottom members having rearwardly extending members joined to said back panel, said top member forming a slot with said back panel; a movable bar extending across said frame and movable up and down relative to said frame; and means for moving said bar, said means including a pulley mounted on the rear of the frame, guide means adjacent corners of the frame, and an endless cord extending around said pulley and said guide means, said movable bar attached at each end to said cord for movement therewith, and a knob mounted on the front of said frame for rotating said pulley in one direction or another to cause upward or downward movement of the bar.
 2. A copyholder as claimed in claim 1, said pulley mounted on the rear of said bottom frame member, said cord extending from said pulley across said bottom frame member, round guide means at the bottom of a side member, up said side member, around guide means at the top of said side member, back down said side member, across said bottom member passing around said pulley to the other side member, round guide means at the bottom of said side member, up said other side member, around guide means at the top of said other side member, back down said other side member, around guide means at the bottom of said other side member and back to said pulley.
 3. A copyholder as claimed in claim 1, said top frame member forming, with said back panel, a slot for insertion of said material.
 4. A copyholder as claimed in claim 3, including a pivotal member extending across said frame parallel to and aligned with said top frame member, said pivotal member pivotally mounted on the top frame member, said pivotal member including an extension extending towards said back panel, and means resiliently urging said extension into contact with said back panel to thereby grip said material.
 5. A copyholder as claimed in claim 4, said pivotal member mounted on said frame by a cord extending across the front of said pivotal member, up behind the top frame member at each end thereof and across the front of said top frame member, ends of the cord being attached to a tension spring positioned between said pivotal member and said top frame member. 